Escape
by justanoutlaw
Summary: Loosely inspired by the Rupert Homes song. Emma was confident in her choice regarding the two men fighting for her affection. Neal didn't know if he was ready to move on after Emma. Both are soon proven wrong when Snow and Belle arrange for them to join a blind dating site.


This is based of the song "Escape (The Piña Colada Song)" by Rupert Homes, my mom and I listened to it all the time when I was growing up. Recently we saw a movie with a similar plot and it furthered my idea for this. Just a few things, it's obviously an AU. It takes place after 3B, they were able to save both Rumple and Neal and Emma didn't end up with Killian. Just a little one shot.

* * *

" _And I'd choose you; in a hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in any version of reality, I'd find you and I'd choose you."-_ _Kiersten White_

"I cannot believe you talked me into this," Emma grumbled as she sat in front of her laptop, her mother by her side as she nursed her baby brother.

"You're the one who said you wanted to get back into the dating game," Snow replied with a small shrug.

"Yes, but a dating website? A blind one at that? Is that even safe in this town?" Emma shot back.

It had been the latest innovation by Nova after she and Leroy had finally found a way back to each other. She wanted to help other Storybrooke residents find their happily ever after, so she had developed: "Happy Endings". Emma didn't have the heart to tell the excited little fairy that it had a different meaning in their world. Not to mention, Regina had made sure that the site could only be viewed by Storybrooke residents. They didn't need random people from the places without magic flocking to their town. They were not going to end up being studied by the FBI if she could help it.

After they had finally defeated Zelena and Emma chose to stay in Storybrooke, she moved back in with her parents along with Henry, though he was currently living with Regina most of the time. He still saw Emma and Neal on a near daily basis and would spend some weekends at their places, but he had missed his old room. Plus, with all the Marian and Robin drama, she needed him more than ever. Meanwhile, Emma had made a choice between Killian and Neal: neither of them.

Yes, Neal was the father of her son and she loved him. She loved him probably more than she had ever loved any other man. But, it just wasn't something she was sure she could go back to. He had hurt her, so badly. Even if he was sticking around Storybrooke to see his father and child, she didn't know if they were meant to be again. Neal had understood, or he said he did. She knew it had hurt, but at the same time, he didn't really have a leg to stand on. She trusted him, that he wouldn't leave again, that he wouldn't break her heart, she just couldn't take any chances.

Killian was a whole other can of worms. Yes, they had a little spark and he had come to find her, to bring her back home. He had even helped her when they got dragged to the Enchanted Forest, but overall that was it. He had done so many shady things in the past and didn't even seem to be apologetic for it. He seemed to care about her and her alone, not even Henry. They had gone on a few dates after they returned from the past, but there was nothing there. It was weird, in the past she would've been okay with a relationship of just hook ups, but after seeing her parents, she wanted more than that. She wanted a happy ending of her own. Killian hadn't exactly taken it the best, but once again, there wasn't much he could do about it.

After ending things with Killian, she had tried to find someone in Storybrooke and found to her surprise, there were more single people than she expected. The Enchanted Forest was expansive and of course not everyone had someone, they just weren't people that her parents had known. Yet, she still wasn't finding anyone. That was when her mother began badgering about setting up an online dating profile.

Happy Endings was a blind dating site, meaning the other person didn't know who they were meeting up with. The site encouraged everyone to meet up in a public space (Granny's preferred) and to inform friends or family where they were going. The only thing that the person got to see about their perspective date was age and gender.

"All that's left is to just write a description of yourself," Snow told her after the account had been set up.

"What am I supposed to say? I like to save the town, I'm the sheriff and I enjoy a good bear claw?" Emma replied, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"No, everyone will know it's you. Just put stuff that most people wouldn't know about you."

"Alright, fine," Emma began typing. "I like long walks on the beach…"

"Emma! Take this seriously."

"I'm taking it as seriously as I possibly can. Why are you on me about this anyway? It's my profile. You already have a husband, he's over there." Emma gestured to the couch where her father sat. He just chuckled.

"Your mother was one of the biggest matchmakers where we're from," David said. "Plus, had you grown up with us, she would've tried to help you find the right suitor."

"Though, of course he would've been ultimately your choice," Snow added, burping the baby. "True love can't be arranged."

Emma gagged as her parents exchanged one of their mushy looks. "Alright, you two go make your sex eyes…" She thought about her mother's words, stuff about her that no one knew.

 _I'm only joining this site out of pressure of my mother, but who knows, maybe you're the same and have overbearing parents. She suggested I put stuff no one knows about me, let's see…I enjoy The Avengers, Iron Man over Captain America any day. I'm not looking for someone who's just going to kiss my ass and agree with me about everything. What else…I'm more of a woods person over the beach and I enjoy a martini over some fruity cocktail any day._

There was a knock at the door, so Emma quickly hit save before shutting her laptop. There was no going back after that. She headed over and opened it, finding Neal standing there with Henry. The two had spent the day together and it was Emma's night with him now, he would go back to Regina's in the morning.

"Hey guys," she gave them a smile. "Have fun?"

"Tons, we went for a hike in the woods and then headed to Granny's," Henry said, talking quickly, a sure sign he had more than one cup of hot chocolate. "And we read tons of comic books."

"Captain America," Neal said with a small smirk, knowing where his ex stood on the issue.

Emma rolled her eyes. "Of course. I'm glad the two of you had fun."

"I'll see you tomorrow, bud," Neal promised his son. Henry nodded and hugged him before walking over to his grandparents so he could play with his uncle.

"Thanks for bringing him back in one piece," the sheriff teased.

"Anytime." Neal stood there awkwardly for a minute, he had tried to be good with things since Emma made her choice, but it wasn't easy. "Well, I'll see you soon."

"See you soon," Emma agreed, shutting the door, her heart heavy in her chest.

* * *

Neal's walk back to his father's was a little long, but he didn't mind it. He still had to get a car, it was on the list. Between the Neverland trip and then the unexpected curse, he hadn't really had the time to settle down in Storybrooke. He was still living with his father and Belle, which he wasn't too happy about. It wasn't anything against them, he loved getting to know Belle more and to actually be able to reconnect with his father. However, the two were engaged, soon they would be newlyweds. It was a little awkward for the grown man to be living with his father. He had gotten a job at the Rabbit Hole and also assisted his father in his shop, so he knew soon he'd be able to move out and get his own vehicle. He wanted a more permanent job, like the one he had back in New York but it wasn't as in demand in the town where most of the residents were still adjusting to technology outside the 80s (some didn't even understand that much).

He would do it all again, leave behind his old life and job. Having Henry and Papa back in his life was the best thing to happen to him in a long time. He was truly happy where he was and he never thought he would say that about a town filled with magic. Slowly, Neal was starting to learn that maybe overall, it wasn't such a bad thing. His relationship with his father wasn't perfect, but it was getting there. His papa was a good man and he was trying, that was all he could ask for.

As he made a turn off of Main Street, his mind floated to Emma. She was another perk of the town. He still loved her, no matter what happened in his life, he never stopped loving her. Even during his engagement to Tamara, that's what had made it so hard to be around her. He knew deep down, even if his ex-fiancé hadn't turned out to be working for his evil grandfather, they never would've made it down the aisle. His father was right, he was still carrying a torch for Emma, he had never stopped. They were always going to love each other. It was just a matter of it they would ever end back together.

He tried to have hope, he looked to his father and Belle. They had been through so much and in the end, they were still together. Yet, it's what they both had wanted. Emma didn't seem to want them. She didn't want Killian either, but it wasn't as if he was the only single man in Storybrooke. He knew she was going out with other men, he had seen it himself. None of them seemed to stick, but it was clear she was moving on.

So, why couldn't he?

It wasn't going to be fair to another woman, to date them when his heart belonged for another. But how long was he supposed to wait? Especially when Emma made it clear that they were just friends, co-parents. Never destined to be more. All he wanted was for Emma to be happy, so if she was moving on, maybe it was time he did the same.

Using his key, Neal entered his father's home. In the living room, he found the two of them, curled up on the couch, watching a film. They looked up and smiled, it almost being creepy at the synchronization of it all.

"Hello Bae," his father said. Neal had long since given up his father calling him anything else. No, he no longer felt like Baelfire but at the same time, that boy would always be a part of him, like it or not. Belle also called him that and he accepted it, there was no point in arguing. Plus, it didn't really bother him anymore. "How was your day with Henry?"

"It was great."

Rumple's son didn't add in how amazing it was to be making up for lost time, he didn't need to. His father understood that more than anyone. Neal would know it was forever his own fault that he didn't get to know his son for the first 11 years of his life, but that bonus year just mere weeks after they met was horrible and he was determined to never let it happen again. Yes, Henry didn't live with him full time and he understood why. He had been raised by someone else, Regina was his mother. He had grown to accept that. Of course, he did wish that Emma could be with them when they hung out, so they could finally be a family. He knew it was what Henry wanted too. It wasn't his main reason for wanting Emma back, but it was on the list. They were a family, all four of them, Regina included, whether he was with Emma or not, it'd just be nice.

"Are you hungry?" Belle asked, interrupting his thoughts. "There's plenty of leftovers."

"Thanks, but we ate at Granny's. I think I'm going to turn in actually." It was pretty early, but he wanted to give them space.

"Wait." Belle stood up, grabbing hold of the iPad that Rumple had gifted her for Christmas. She mainly used it as a way of ordering more books, but she did enjoy a few apps, including words with friends. "Nova was by the library today and she was asking me about setting up an event to teach people to use the app she set up for her dating website."

"Do you need help with chairs or something?" Neal asked, used to Belle asking him for that type of assistance.

"No, I just thought, well, maybe you should sign up."

Neal raised an eyebrow and looked back at his father, who had an amused smile on his face. "I told her you wouldn't go for it," Rumple informed him. He didn't know much about his son and modern technology, but he did know he wasn't the type to use a dating service.

"Oh geez, Belle…" Neal didn't want to offend his step-mom-to-be. "I don't know…"

"I just think it'd be something fun. Even if you don't find anyone"

"With my luck, I'll end up with one of Papa's enemies and it'll just be a trap."

"That's the thing, it's a blind dating situation," Belle explained, opening the app. "See, all you find out about the person is what they're into, their age and if they're a boy or a girl."

"Belle…"

"Just try it," she insisted. "Even if you find no one, it could still be interesting." Before he could rebut further, she pushed the iPad into his hands. Neal glanced over at his father and Rumple simply shrugged, there was no point in arguing with Belle.

"Alright…I'll give it a whirl. Thank you, Belle," Neal replied. He had no intentions of actually using it. He had a feeling that Belle would check to make sure he actually set up a profile, but outside that, he'd leave it alone.

Taking the device upstairs to his room, he sat on the bed, filling out the profile, though he left his description blank. He went through the different profiles and could instantly spot a few from a mile away. (Doctor Whale's was the most obvious, bragging about being the most handsome doctor in all of Storybrooke, along with Dopey's, which went into how his partner wouldn't mind doing most of the talking.)

That's when he came across one that caught his eye. The person clearly was pushed into it just as much as he was, by her mother. She seemed to be just about his type, she didn't seem to be taking the site seriously at all. She enjoyed the woods and martinis. Her only downfall seemed to be that she liked Iron Man over Captain America, but no one was perfect.

Could this actually be someone he was interested in? Even if it lead to nothing, it was worth a shot…

Quickly he wrote a response to her…

 _You seem to be pretty cool. I, myself, am also into the woods (though props to you for managing to put that on there and not sounding like a total creeper). I'm more of a beer man myself, but martinis aren't that bad, definitely would take one over a mimosa or something. I'm definitely not the ass kissing type. You seem honest, I like that, even if your taste in superheroes sucks. Would you want to grab a martini (or two?) at The Rabbit Hole?_

Neal wasn't expecting a response so quickly, but it came in within 20 minutes.

 _This Friday, 7 PM. I'll be in the very back booth on the right, the one with the tear in the seat. I'll be wearing a blue ribbon around my wrist, you wear one too._

He grinned, confirming that he would show. Now all there was to wait for Friday.

* * *

That Friday, Emma wondered what she had done. When she responded to the person's profile, she hadn't really been thinking. They just seemed to be the most real person to respond. Everyone else was so sappy and didn't seem to understand why she had included the Marvel characters in her bio. Now, she was nervous. What if the person was a villain that had yet to be revealed? Yes, she could fight them off, but that didn't nessecarily mean that she wanted to set herself up for it.

She had told no one about her date, she had even lied to her mother and said that no one had contacted her on the site and she hadn't found anyone remotely interested. Instead, she said that she was just going to be heading out for some quiet time. Henry was at Regina's and her father was manning the station, so she didn't have much to worry about. She dressed in a red dress, letting her blonde curls loose.

Once at The Rabbit Hole, she took the booth she had told the John Doe she'd be in, ordering two martinis. She wasn't sure how her date liked them, so she just got them both dirty. She had arrived a little early, so she wasn't overly concerned when she had to wait a bit, adjusting the blue ribbon around her wrist every so often.

"Emma?"

The blonde looked up at the familiar voice and saw Neal standing there. She gave him a small smile, at first not thinking much of it. He worked at The Rabbit Hole, so it wouldn't be odd to see him there. Then she noticed that he was dressed up, wearing a green polo shirt and black slacks. His dark curls were tamed and he had even shaved. Emma felt her heart plummet a bit. He was on a date. She wasn't sure why that upset her, she had been the one to tell them both to move on…

Her thoughts trailed off when she saw something on his wrist…a blue ribbon. Her eyes widened as she glanced back up to him, he was looking at her own ribbon around her wrist.

"It's you?" Emma asked.

"You," Neal repeated, in almost a daze. It was all making sense, why he had been so attracted to the profile. How had he not realized it was written by Emma?

"Did you…did you know it was me?" Emma accused, this felt like a set up. She didn't want to believe that deep down, she would pick _him_. She had already decided they were done.

"No!" Neal didn't want to seem overly defensive, but he also didn't want Emma to think that he had somehow arranged it. He really had respected her choice. "I promise, Em, this whole thing…it wasn't my doing."

Emma stared at him for a moment. She had chosen him, without even knowing it had been him. Out of all of the members of that stupid website, it had been his response that called to her. And hers had to him. She thought back to when she had seen him again back in New York, what he had said. About them meeting being fate. She hadn't believed it then. Yes, them being together had brought about something good: Henry. But was he really all it had been? No matter what, it seemed to be that they were brought back together. After nearly 12 years apart, they had been thrusted into each other's lives. Then there was that curse, the one that should've erased any possibility and bam, they had ended up in the same place. She kept running from the possibility that they were meant to be and why? What was the purpose?

Finally, Emma said the first thing she could possibly think of, "I didn't know you liked martinis."

Neal chuckled, knowing this was Emma's way of saying she wasn't mad. "What can I say? You have to shake it up from beers every once in a while."

That's when the waiter came by, dropping off the drinks along with a bowl of peanuts. Neal looked from the drinks to Emma to the empty side of the booth across from her. He didn't want to push it, even if she was upset, it didn't mean that he wasn't going to be asked to leave.

"Well, are you going to sit down? I do believe you still owed me a stronger drink from when we first met," Emma told him, a smirk playing on her lips.

Neal smiled, sliding into the booth. "Oh come on, admit it, that was the best first date you ever had."

"It was," Emma had to say it. "I will say one thing, life was never boring with you, Neal."

"Our lives have never been boring, considering who are parents are."

Emma laughed. "Yeah, I suppose you're right." She grabbed her glass and held it up. "To second first dates."

"To second first dates," Neal replied, clinking his glass with hers. "Maybe we can even find fairgrounds to break into after this."

Another laugh escaped Emma's lips. "Yeah, not sure what example that would set for the kid…or the town, considering I'm the sheriff."

"Oh, I better be on my best behavior with you then," Neal gave her that smile, that same one he had that first day in the back of the bug.

"Well…one thing I've learned is you do have to take the good with the bad," Emma replied, a smirk of her own playing across her face.

The two sat in that booth for hours, sipping a few drinks and talking, joking, as if no time had passed at all. There would be things to be discussed, they would have to figure out exactly how they were going to do it, but Emma knew one thing. She had made a new choice and that one was to allow herself to be happy with the man she really loved.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed this! I do take prompts, so feel free to send them in, whether it's in their comments or to either of my Tumblrs: just-an-outlaw and justanoutlawfanfiction!


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